Show The Red Conspiracy Spy Hunters Fall To Lowest Ebb B By Robert E. E Stripling Edited by Bob Considine Several Se days after alter I was placed peremptorily in A 1 in the draft though deferred by congress as Editors Editor's note This is s the ninth of or a series of 28 articles articles arti artl- cles exposing the Communist conspiracy In the United States Robert E. E Stripling the author wa va until recently the spark plug of or the house committee t that Ii h a t uncovered widespread Communist propaganda propaganda ganda and espionage chief inv investigator of the house un-American un activities committee commit commit- tee I received a puzzling call caU from selective service headquarters in Washington 1 was as told I was wanted there therein in a certain office and that I was to use the name Wright in identifying myself I did as directed and finally found myself facing two elderly army colonels They informed me quickly that I was the victim of what they called an unprecedented action and that the move was plainly political They urged me meto meto meto to take a job with the Glenn Martin Martin Martin Mar Mar- tin Co near Baltimore after which they felt that Gen Lewis B. B Hershey could defer me as an es essential essential es- es worker I thanked them for their interest interest interest inter inter- est but turned them down went back to the house office building and began winding up my duties with the committee The committee had fallen to its lowest ebb Chairman Dies after a brawlIng brawlIng brawlIng brawl- brawl Ing Ing- radio debate with Walter Valter Winchell had left Washington for his Texas home and had decided not to run again for office 3 S Members l Defeated Rep Starnes vice chairman of the committee had been en beaten in an upset in the Alabama maries manes John Costello D. D Cal See Seo Page 3 Column 1 f J- J r Spy Committee Reaches I i Lowest Point of Ebb Continued from Page Pago One sad d Fred Busbey R. R HL TIl two members also had been dein dein der de- de other Bated in the the November 1944 r t elections in which the P PA A C Chad had I shown hown own great strength I The da days s 's dragged on through December 1944 without a ca call to toI toe I me TS e to report port for duty The office columnist conI contacted con con- Washington i of a I to m my draft board several i i times asking why I had not been t called called The commentators commentator's Sunday I night broadcasts broadcasts and his column I d began becan to single me out as one I dI must be inducted immediately immediate immediate- who V 11 v A J A 1 ly y for the good of the country 4 I 1 Another commentator informed by a member of Sen Maybanks Maybank's I 1 staff that the legislative e deferment deferment deferment defer defer- J ment committee had reminded selective set se- se t service that congress had deferred me joined in Between them J I became a kind of Grover 1 Cleveland Bergdoll though I was 1 t perfectly willing to serve as soon i u as called 1 Somewhat Ludicrous J In view of the military records of the two commentators themselves them- them selves there was something ludicrous ludi ludi- I crous crous' crous about their insistence that 1 I a somewhat sedentary type be 11 dispatched to bolster an ann army which by that time possessed o- o about menI men l' l It is not a happy feeling however how how- J I t ever to be pointed pin by men with ith enormous radio audiences And to this distress was added the v 1 sight of the committee going to 4 j pieces i t It was so 50 apparent that the new congress would discard the ther t committee that our files painstakingly painstakingly painstakingly pains pains- I r accumulated for six J I years years were moved into the hallway hallay hallway hall- hall J way ay outside our committee rooms t. t ready to be shipped to Archbald Archi- Archi v J bald MacLeish in the Library of i Congress j In the last days of 1944 the only champion of the committee l c f and seemingly e the only member I of congress who believed it could t f continue was John Rankin Rankin Rankin Ran- Ran f kin maneuvered off the committee commit- commit r tee on January 1949 by a neat l' l parliamentary move maneuvered the committee into a permanent 1 status on Jan 3 1945 I Rankin Finds Way Yay He was not a member at the 1 time he saved sated both the committee t 1 and its files He had been after a me for a week or two before that however howe to draft a resolution calling for continuance of the committee But It seemed an implausible implausible im im- I j plausible act On Jan 3 1945 first day of the I I congress Rankin called me meI early in the morning and said Ive figured one out Come up to tomy I i m my rny Y YAt office At his office he handed me a ai copy of the house rules Read I he said sald pointing to 1 a section It r had to do with r the amendment of oft t house rules As AJ Rankin later characterized his action I 1 caught em flatfooted flat- flat k footed and flat tk He came to his feet during the 5 routine r ceremonies and t ti tress ness of the opening session a after I If I there ther e had been the usual bored l 1 acceptance of ot the first four house housel t n l rules and before 1 the fifth w was apP ap- ap V proved pro P roved he said Mr fir Speaker I if i offer an amendment it II t 1 j. j The speaker consulted the par par- arta ar- ar Us ta w who rapidly scanned i ha il I the rules In the meantime Ma Ma- Leader John McCormack of ai Oil Oili I and sand others joined d In a general e 4 Jr protest if usually t beginning This is ise e hardly the time to e 4 1 i Speaker Upholds Rankin n. n t e B But ut the speaker upheld Rankin He we He can offer an I 10 amendment the the speaker said putting down his copy PY of the rules He rapped for I is tt tf d Border order o d r. r The gentleman from MisI MIs- MIs I is reco recognized grazed for an r. r hour r J. I Rankin aided I by other P pro pro- ro- ro of the committee i con- con slimed m l the full hour He reviewed re e the work of f the committee ee an and t stressed u the fact that its files t were in danger aDger of f beIng scattered I ill for tor lost since they were headed I nef nil e for the hands of a man frankly hostile to the committee He asked audaciously that the committee committee committee com com- be made a permanent armor arm of or congress and that its membership membership membership member member- ship be raised from seven to nine When his time was up the speaker asked for a voice vote In Inthe Inthe Inthe the resultant roars the nays appeared appeared appeared ap ap- ap- ap clearly to have it its But Rankin Rankin Rankin Ran Ran- kin who knew not only his rules but the reluctance of the average member openly to criticize the committee demanded a roll call Na Nays 5 Change to Yeas Teas It was so ordered The shouters of many a previous nay now voted yea The amendment was passed despite the efforts of party leaders leaders leaders lead lead- ers to defeat It iL ItAn iLAn An amazing turn of events had b been cn witnessed by the crowded galleries A predominantly Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic congress many of the members P supported C-supported A and thus all but pledged to eliminate the tempestuous and temporary committee made as its first act the committee a fixture as permanent permanent perma perma- nent as ways and means As for my draft status I was given gi just enough time to write a report on the last committee activities activities ac ac- and move the file cases es back into our offices On a Monday late iI In iri 1944 1044 while I was in New York on an investigation investigation investigation gation my Washington office called to tell ten me that Sen Maybank's Maybanks Maybanks Maybank's Maybanks Maybank's May- May banks bank's office had arranged for an additional 30 day 30 day deferment The following Saturday I was ordered to report for induction Sen Maybanks Maybank's letter had been held up long enough for my draft board to meet and yield at last to the remarkable pressure placed upon it iL Tuesday The autobiography of the army's annYs strangest yard yard- bird of World odd War II II Copyright 1949 King Features Syndicate |